November 8, 2024

The Salvation Army Pathway of Hope’s financial empowerment program celebrated the first set of graduates from the Building Wealth and Health Network (Network), as part of a partnership between Virginia Commonwealth University and the Center for Hunger-Free Communities. The Network facilitates economic mobility for low-income families. It integrates lessons on financial terms, resources, trauma theory, political education, and goal setting. This is the first externally run Network program supported by the Center and the first outside the state of Pennsylvania.

The City of Richmond awarded the Salvation Army Central Virginia with a grant to pilot the Network in Richmond. The pilot consists of of three different cohorts of 10 to 15 participants conducted over ten months. With the first cohort completed, the second cohort is slated to begin February 2025. Sessions take place in the community room of the Salvation Army Boys & Girl Club of Richmond in Church Hill. Major partners include the City of Richmond Office of Community Wealth Building, Virginia Commonwealth University, Drexel University, Virginia Credit Union, and Atlantic Union Bank.